


Autumn Breeze

by mggislife2789



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Autumn, F/F, Love Confessions, Sweaters, apple picking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 12:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12108375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mggislife2789/pseuds/mggislife2789
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original stories. This is only for fun. It's where my brain goes after the credits roll. No copyright intended. Better safe than sorry. ;)





	Autumn Breeze

“So, you and daddy don’t love each other anymore?” Henry asked. The four-year-olds eyes went wide with sadness. 

JJ shook her head and crouched down to meet her son eye-to-eye. “Daddy and I will always love each other,” she assured him. “We just aren’t in love anymore.”

“What’s the difference?” She laughed under her breath at the over-exaggerated look of confusion plaguing his features.

As a mother, she wanted to tell her son that she and her Daddy would get back together, but over their five years together they’d been away from each other so often that they both found themselves falling out of love with each other. “In love is a romantic feeling. While love can be something that’s felt between mommies and daddies, or friends, and lots of other relationships, like mothers and sons.” She poked his nose and made him laugh, feeling a little bit better about the whole situation. She knew Henry would ask eventually, but she’d been dreading the moment. “I will always love Daddy, because he gave me you, but we don’t love each other romantically anymore.”

“Oh,” he said. He nodded his head, so it must’ve suddenly clicked. “Okay.”

“We will always love you though.”

“Are you in love with someone else, Mommy?” Will had just recently introduced Henry to his new girlfriend; she was a really sweet woman that worked in a local doctor’s office. 

After coming to terms with the realization that she was no longer in love with Will, and how much that actually hurt, she never imagined she’d be moving on, but then she realized it was because of what she was feeling that she’d fallen out of love with Will in the first place.

Emily.

“I don’t know,” JJ told her son honestly. “I think so. But I don’t know how they feel about me, so I don’t know if anything is going to happen.”

They were on their way to Henry’s nanny’s apartment. JJ had planned to drop him off so she could go out with Emily for a little while and discuss how she was feeling; she wondered if Emily knew. “Is it a boy or a girl? They should love you…or be IN love with you. You’re awesome.”

“It’s a girl and thank you, baby,” she laughed as she knocked on the door of the nanny’s apartment. “I hope she thinks so too.”

After giving Henry a million and one kisses, she walked back toward her car, the chill, crisp breeze nipping at her skin, causing her to hug her oversized, cream-colored sweatshirt closer to her frame. It was a beautiful day. The sun was out in full force and there was barely a cloud in the sky. It was a bit on the cold side, but that was how she loved it. Emily had mentioned it being her favorite season years back, and how she loved to go apple picking once the air began to cool. That’s where she planned to take her; she was already trying to woo her. God, she hadn’t felt this way in a while. 

A short drive later, she found herself clutching the sweatshirt tighter as she waited for Emily to come downstairs. When she appeared at the passenger side window, it nearly took JJ’s breath away. On top, Emily was wearing a plaid short sleeve shirt with a white cable knit sweater over it and a brown infinity scarf. Her jeans hugged her curves perfectly and her brown boots complemented the scarf. “Hey, JJ,” she said, shivering a bit from the cold. The weather had changed rather drastically; JJ had to admit that. “Why you looking at me like that?”

“You look cute.” She stuttered nervously and pulled away from the curb, falling into conversation about where they were going and what they’d be doing. 

“Apple picking!” Emily squealed. “Yay! I haven’t been in so long.”

“That’s why I figured it would be nice.” JJ pointed toward the back seat, where she left a picnic basket filled with wine and cheese for them to eat along the way. With that and apples, it would be the best meal either of them had had in a while. Running around with Henry and on cases didn’t allow for the best of eating habits. Cheetos did not make a good meal no matter how often she ate them.

Thankfully, JJ had avoided the subject of having feelings for Emily the entire way there, and about 30 minutes later, they’d arrived on the outskirts of town at the state’s best orchard. “Oh my god, I’m so happy!” Emily said as she got out of the car and linked her arm in JJ’s.

Ahead of them stood a vast orchard brimming with autumn enthusiasts thankful to be able to wear oversized sweatshirts and boots rather than shorts and flip-flops. The trees were slowly turning from green to various shades of yellow, orange and red - the colors cascaded together like the most beautiful of sunsets. “Ready?”

“More than ready,” Emily replied, clapping as the two started to walk into the orchard away from the other patrons. 

For nearly an hour, they picked apples off the trees, careful to pick only the best ones; JJ really wanted to make some apple pies later. They walked around arm-in-arm in near silence just taking in the beauty that occurred during the change of the seasons. Many times, when Emily would reach up to grab an apple, JJ found herself taking in Emily’s beauty. She always thought Emily was beautiful; Jj could recognize a beautiful woman when she saw one, but more recently, in the last year or so, her smile gave JJ butterflies, the way her hips swayed made her weak, and her general enthusiasm for life in the face of all they saw gave JJ hope. 

All of a sudden, Emily’s stomach growled. “You said you had wine and cheese in that picnic basket?” She asked happily. “Can we go back to the car and get it because I didn’t eat breakfast this morning. I only had coffee and now my stomach is angry with me.”

“Sure,” JJ laughed.

They returned to the car, grabbed the picnic basket and then found an area near the far end of the orchard to sit for a while. JJ laid out the blanket, feeling the teenage nerves of a girl in love as the warm blue blanket floated to the ground. Emily went to pay for a small batch of apples so they could eat them now and came back to a full wine cup and delicious brie and crackers. “This is fucking delicious,” Emily mumbled. 

JJ swallowed hard. She really needed to get this over with. She had to know and considering they’d already had their fun, if things didn’t go well, they could just leave. “I know, and these apples are great. I need to make pie later.” For a few more moments, she hesitated, but then the words started to fall out of her mouth before she could filter them. “Em, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Yea?” Emily didn’t miss a beat, continuing to eat her apple and cheese with joy. “What is it?”

“When Will and I broke up, I couldn’t really understand why. I couldn’t figure out why I’d fallen out of love with him. A few months later, I figured out what it was.”

Emily slowed down her eating, a redness forming on her face. JJ couldn’t figure out whether it was the crisp breeze or a blush, but she pushed forward. “I’d fallen out of love with Will because I was falling…for you.”

She couldn’t bare to look up for fear of what she’d see, but then she saw Emily’s hand cover her own. “I was wondering that,” she said softly. She moved closer to JJ, their thighs now touching; the warmth of her body was welcomed against the breeze. “I’ve loved you forever.” She smiled nervously and JJ’s shoulders relaxed; the tension she’d been holding was insane. “It was just that by the time I realized it, you were already with Will, and you were so happy, I didn’t want to ruin that. And then you got pregnant and I wouldn’t wish that away for anything because I fucking love that kid.”

JJ snorted, a tear stinging at the corner of her eye as she buried her face into Emily’s shoulder.”But when you broke up with him, I figured I’d try and find a time to tell you how I felt and I could never do it. Every time I did, I felt like I wanted to vomit and backed out of it, and-”

“Breathe,” JJ laughed, pressing her finger against Emily’s lips. “You’re rambling. You’re starting to sound like Reid.”

“Oh my god, I am.”

That sent two into a fit of laughter that took them nearly 10 minutes to recover from. “My point is, I’ve loved you for a long time,” Emily said eventually. “And if you want to give this a try, a romantic relationship, I’d…I’d really love that.”

As cheesy as it felt, JJ felt her heart soar. “Me too.” Emily picked up her wine glass and brought up to JJ’s, toasting to whatever was to come. With that out in the open, silence fell between them once again, except this time it was comfortable. 

JJ slunk her hand into Emily’s and leaned up against her shoulder, saying nothing, and instead taking in the afternoon sun as it played against the trees, the children running around happily picking up apples and bringing them back to their parents, and others like them, allowing new love to blow in with the autumn breeze.


End file.
